and he tells me that Sir T. Allen is not my friend; but
for all this I am not much troubled, for I know myself so usefull that,
as I believe, they will not part with me; so I thank God my condition
is such that I can; retire, and be able to live with comfort, though
not with abundance. Thus we spent the evening with extraordinary good
discourse, to my great content, and so home to the Office, and there did
some business, and then home, where my wife do come home, and I vexed
at her staying out so late, but she tells me that she hath been at home
with M. Batelier a good while, so I made nothing of it, but to supper
and to bed.

21st. Up; and with my own coach as far as the Temple, and thence sent it
to my cozen Turner, who, to ease her own horses, that are going with her
out of town, do borrow mine to-day. So I to Auditor Wood's, and thereto
meet, and met my Lord Bellassis upon some business of his accounts, and
having done that did thence go to St. James's, and attended the Duke of
York a little, being the first time of my waiting on him at St. James's
this summer, whither he is now newly gone and thence walked to White
Hall; and so, by and by, to the Council-Chamber, and heard a remarkable
cause pleaded between the Farmers of the Excise of Wiltshire, in
complaint against the justices of Peace of Salisbury: and Sir H. Finch
was for the former. But, Lord! to see how he did with his admirable
eloquence order the matter, is not to be conceived almost: so pleasant
a thing it is to hear him plead. Then at noon by coach home, and thither
by and by comes cozen Turner, and The., and Joyce, in their riding-clod:
they being come from their lodgings to her husbands chamber, at the
Temple, and there do lie, and purpose to go out of town on Friday next;
and here I had a good dinner for them. After dinner by water to White
Hall, where the Duke of York did meet our Office, and went with us to
the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury; and there we did go over all
the business of the state I had drawn up, of this year's action and
expence, which I did do to their satisfaction, and convincing them of
the necessity of providing more money, if possible, for us. Thence the
Duke of York being gone, I did there stay walking with Sir H. Cholmly in
the Court, talking of news; where he told me, that now the great design
of the Duke of Buckingham is to prevent the meeting, since he cannot
bring about with the King the dissolving, of this Parliamen